Fire Emblem Awakening: Chronicle of Love and Power
by Paragon42
Summary: When all seems lost, a window of opportunity presents itself. How time travel changes history, and the bonds in the past and future shape the world anew. My take on the story of Fire Emblem: Awakening, with a few mentions of other Fire Emblem games sprinkled here and there.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: Beginning at the End**

Since I started with nothing, I quickly came to appreciate what I had and came to have. I thought with all that life had given me, there was nothing I couldn't accomplish. That with all the support and power I possessed, there was no force that could bring me down.

I was wrong. More wrong than I could possibly imagine.

My life is a living hell. In a single moment, everything was taken from me, even my free will. If I could, I would end my life and free myself from this endless damnation. But the evil that claimed me, the Fell Dragon Grima, will never allow that. At every point he taunts me, mocks my failures, and gloats about what fresh tortures he has in store for me.

_Now that your friends have all been eradicated, all that remains is to find your precious daughter. Once she is out of the picture, there will be no one left who can oppose me._

"You may have murdered my husband…claimed my son…but you will not have my daughter!"

_Come now, I am not completely lacking in mercy. I will grant you the pleasure of seeing her one last time before she expires. Although I suppose she wouldn't want to see you, after what you did. _

My heart burned with guilt and shame. I often relive that horrible moment when I drift near unconsciousness. But the worst part was, no matter if I kept my silence or showed any form of defiance, there was no secret he couldn't find, no weakness he couldn't exploit.

_Wait…does she not know about you…about US…?_

As I wept uncontrollably, he started to laugh. It was a cruel, sadistic laugh, completely lacking in mirth or compassion.

_Oh, this is perfect! Once I track her down, I'll have you be the one to fetch her. Watching her hope and joy turn to complete despair, will be almost better than seeing her die!_

I don't know how much time had passed. My dreams and reality have blended together into a horrible montage of destruction and death. If it wasn't the screams of the dying, it was the roar of flames and the maniacal laughter of Grima that filled my head. However, eventually, something did happen. The Fell Dragon let out a roar of rage that shook the very ground I stood upon.

_Curse that Divine Dragon! Even without her Voice, she still opposes me from beyond the grave! This will not be allowed to happen!_

Having discovered what had happened, that my daughter was even now seeking a way to defeat Grima and end this living hell, filled me with joy for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. So consumed with hatred was the Fell Dragon, that he didn't notice the ideas that were brewing in my mind. While I may have been broken beyond repair, I was and always will be a tactician, and this opportunity will not be wasted.

Grima brought me to a forsaken temple, where apparently the Divine Dragon Naga had devised and performed a ritual, allowing warriors-including my daughter-to travel to the past, no doubt in an attempt to prevent the rise of the Fell Dragon from happening. While I instinctively knew this wouldn't change the events that had happened in my time, I also knew any chance that could be taken to stop him from bringing the world to an end was worth taking.

_No! Those insects already escaped! Well no matter. I will simply pursue them and make sure destiny follows its natural course!_

As Grima had me step through the shimmering portal within the temple, I couldn't help but smile as the final pieces of my plan came together. The Fell Dragon finally took notice of me and was puzzled at the positive expression I wore.

_Feeling nostalgic, are we? Perhaps looking forward to seeing family and friends once more? I must admit the thought excites me too. I wonder if I shall slay them all myself a second time, or let fate see itself through. Then again, I wouldn't want to deprive you or myself this little visit to bygone days._

"You know what your problem is? You grow too complacent; with your immortality, you never plan for things in the moment, which leaves you vulnerable. Fate is not set in stone, and you will be defeated."

_Ha! With all the power and knowledge I possess, there's no hope for humanity now or ever! Besides, how do you, with all your genius and talent, think to defeat me, when you already failed once?_

At that moment, power surged within me, a dormant power which I had thought lost to me but had bloomed anew with my last wave of hope.

_Impossible! That power should have died when I claimed you as my vessel! This can't be happening!_

"You may have conquered my body and mind, but you will **never **have my soul! I may not be able to kill you, but I'll make sure **they **can!"

_If you do this, you'll cease to exist along with me! _

"A small price to pay! May this be the last true fact you remember: **anything can change!**"

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

With my newfound strength, I turned my power inward, severed my mind and Grima's, and cast the thoughts they held into the ether before me, towards the past I hoped to save.

"You may not understand, but I know you'll figure it out. After all…you are me. May this…be enough…to make a difference…"

With that, my mind passed into the void, with the screams of a deranged Fell Dragon following in my wake.

**Well, here I am, back from the dead more or less. Turns out moving to a new state is more stressful than I thought. Now that there is a piece of stability in my life again, I'm back to writing again, this time with another Fire Emblem story. This is a little preview to get back into the groove of things, I my hope is to finish my Luck be a Lady story in the near future. Only a few more chapters to go there, then I can focus on this one more consistently. Thanks and enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: New Life, New Start**

_All things considered, today feels like a good day._

Chrom, Prince of Ylisse, stretched his arms as he gazed out across the fields of his kingdom. He was on a routine patrol with his younger sister Lissa and guardian Frederick, who was surveying the area atop his armored horse. They were passing through the southern regions of the halidom and were on their way to a nearby village to restock and head to the capital. After several days of travel with only one minor dispute with some farmers, it was time for them to return home.

"Man, I wish something exciting would happen. All I've seen is some grumpy farmers and wildlife."

Lissa was whining again, as she usually did when she was bored. She fiddled with the hem of her dress and gave her brother a sulky look.

"It is not wise to go seeking for trouble, milady," Frederick responded, giving his ward a stern look. Despite being only a handful of years older than Chrom, he had an air of maturity and command that would not allow any arguments. "As a member of the royal family, you should exercise more restraint and caution."

"Yeah, wouldn't want anything to happen to my sweet, delicate sister," Chrom teased, giving Lissa a small smile.

"I am **not **delicate!" Lissa cried, her temper flaring as it always did at her brother's jabs. "You'll see, once we get back home, I'm gonna-wait, what's that?"

Without another word, Lissa jumped off the paved path, darting into the grasslands at a breakneck pace.

"What the-Lissa, wait!" Chrom yelped, running after his sister.

"This is no time for your silly pranks, Princess," Frederick called, steering his horse to follow his charges.

"This isn't a prank!" Lissa yelled back, speeding through the grass in front of her. "I saw someone in the field-see?"

She stopped and pointed, panting slightly as her brother and Frederick came up behind her. Chrom frowned as he stepped up and saw there was indeed a person lying in the field. She appeared to be a young woman around his age, wearing a large robe that covered most of her body with a hood that partially covered her face. She appeared unharmed and in a deep sleep.

"Chrom, we have to do something," Lissa said earnestly, giving her brother a concerned look.

"What do you suggest we do?" Chrom asked, glancing sideways at Lissa.

"I don't know," Lissa shrugged, but then they both turned as the woman on the ground groaned softly.

As she opened her eyes, Chrom was instantly mesmerized. Her irises were a deep shade of violet, and as she lifted her head, her hood fell back to reveal she had snowy hair that was a light shade of lavender which was braided back to show her face which was strikingly beautiful.

"Ah, you're awake. Here, take my hand," Chrom offered, blinking and smiling as he extended his arm to the enchanting stranger in front of him. As her gaze went from the arm to his face, her eyes flashed with several emotions in quick succession, and as she reached out and had him gently pull her up, Chrom was struck at how despite his initial guess, she actually matched him in height and looked him straight in the eyes. "You alright?"

After a slight hesitation, she gave him a smile which made his heart skip a beat. "Yes…thank you, Chrom."

He frowned, puzzled at the familiarity which she said his name. "You know who I am then?"

Her smile faltered as a look of confusion crossed her face. "No…I mean, I'm not sure why, but your name just came to me…"

Chrom was perplexed; the woman in front of him seemed to lose her confidence from one moment to the next. "Well, that's curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?"

The woman tilted her head to the side as she looked at Chrom. "My name? Well, it's…" After a small pause, she frowned as she looked lost in thought. "It's…huh?"

This only served to confuse Chrom more. "…You don't even know your own name?"

A brief look of fear crossed her face as she glanced at her surroundings. "No, I…I'm sorry, but where are am I, exactly?"

"Hey, I know what this is! It's called amnesia!" Lissa chimed in, looking at the woman curiously.

"It's called a load of Pegasus dung," Frederick said coldly, giving the stranger a dismissive look. "Do you expect us to believe that you know milord's name, but not your own?"

The woman in question turned her gaze to Frederick and fixed him with an offended look.

"But it's the truth!" She matched his glare with her own, not backing down in the slightest.

"What if it **is** true, Frederick? We can't just leave her here, alone and confused," Chrom said, determination in his eyes and confidence in his voice. "What sort of Shepherds would we be then? At the very least, we can bring her into town and sort things out there."

"As you say, milord," Frederick replied, inclining his head even as he continued to watch the woman closely. "Although I'd advice to exercise caution; it would be unwise to invite a wolf into our midst."

"Wait, do I get a say in the matter?" The woman in question looked to Chrom with a small frown on her face.

"Peace friend, I promise we'll hear everything you have to say once we get back to town."

After a brief moment, the woman nodded as she followed her companions back towards the main road.

* * *

"Once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse, you'll be free to go," Chrom explained, having engaged the woman in small conversations over the past few minutes.

"Is that where we are-Ylisse?" She was looking at him keenly, as though trying to memorize is appearance down to his boots.

"You haven't heard of the halidom?" Frederick was bringing up the rear, surveying the area and the mystery woman from atop his armored horse. "Ha! Someone should pay this actress, she plays quite the fool!"

Having heard this, she turned and glowered at the mounted knight. "I am no one's fool. Is he always like this?"

"Ha! Don't take it personally, he just takes his job very seriously," Chrom said amicably, not minding the scrutiny he was receiving. "I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Chrom-though you already knew that, of course. The delicate one over here is my younger sister Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa stomped her foot in frustration, her blonde pigtails swinging as she fumed in annoyance, which drew the puzzled gaze of the older woman in the group.

"This solemn fellow is Frederick," Chrom finished, giving his retainer a small smile. "Many refer to him as Frederick the Wary, so you're not alone in your viewpoints."

"A title I embrace proudly," Frederick said seriously, not raising to the bait his ward offered. "Someone needs to keep a level head, otherwise who knows what sort of trouble you'd find yourself in."

"I see…I'm Robin." The woman stopped in her tracks, a look of wonder on her face as everyone looked her way. "Huh. I don't know why…my name just came to me; I guess that's one mystery solved."

"Robin huh," Chrom wondered, giving her an appraising look. "Well, we're almost at the town. Once there we-"

"Brother, look!" Lissa pointed at the road ahead of them, where smoke could be seen rising behind the next hill. After a brief dash, everyone saw the town in question with flames coming from several buildings, with screams faintly heard from their position.

"Curses, the town is blaze! Must be the brigands we heard about the other day." Chrom looked grimly across the river that weaved through the town. "Frederick, Lissa, we need to go now!"

"What about her?" Frederick indicated Robin.

"Unless she's on fire too, leave her be!" Chrom charged ahead, his sister right behind him.

"Aptly put, milord," Frederick said, spurring his mount to follow his liege.

"Wait, what about-" Robin trailed off, watching as the trio crossed the bridge leading into the town. After a moment of thought, she nodded to herself and set off after them.

* * *

Once inside the town, Frederick rode ahead, telling Chrom and Lissa to meet up with him in the town square once all the side streets were clear. Proceeding with caution, Chrom was about to turn a corner when Robin called out to him, causing him to look her way in surprise.

"Robin! You followed us! Why?" Chrom lowered his sword, an ornate broadsword with an open circle in the hilt.

"I'm…not sure," Robin said, looking between him and Lissa who was carrying a healing staff. "But I'm armed, and I can handle myself in a fight, if you'll have me."

"Of course, strength in numbers," Chrom replied, glancing at the bronze sword she carried in her right hand. "I trust you can-wait, is that a tome? You can perform magic?" His eyes were drawn to the book she carried in her other hand.

"I…think so," Robin said, frowning slightly as she perused the grimoire after sheathing her sword. "Let me check."

"Maybe I should stay a few feet behind you," Chrom said nervously as a few sparks started flying from Robin's fingertips.

"Ha, scared you might get shocked?" Lissa laughed, enjoying watching her brother squirm. "Now who's being delicate! In case you two get any injuries, I can heal you right up."

"No need, I can control it," Robin said confidently, closing her book with a snap. "Let's go. The sooner we deal with this problem the better."

"Agreed, follow me," Chrom responded, smiling at Robin's determination as he led the way deeper into town, Lissa and Robin hot on his heels.

* * *

Hearing footsteps from behind, Frederick wheeled his horse around, and raised his eyebrows at seeing the trio of Chrom, Lissa and Robin approaching him from an alley. Apart from a few scratches on Frederick's armor, everyone appeared to be in good shape.

"Well, this is a surprise," Frederick commented, lowering his silver lance as he gave Robin an appraising look. "I thank you for assisting us, and trust you understand the situation you're in. The enemy will not show mercy; it's kill or be killed."

"I'm well aware of that," Robin replied grimly, wiping blood off her sword. "As things stand, there shouldn't be many more brigands left; the rest should be at the mayor's house. I suggest we head there now while they're still confused."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Chrom said, smiling despite the circumstances. "She has more than proved her worth to me. I'm willing to follow her advice, unless you have any objections."

Frederick shook his head, deferring to his lord's wish. "As you say. The mayor's house is across the canal up ahead. Let's go."

As they moved forward, a fireball arched through the air, which was barely dodged by Chrom. Spotting the enemy mage, Robin launched a lightning bolt of her own, stunning him long enough for Frederick to charge forward and impale the mage through the chest. Nodding in approval, Robin ran ahead to join Chrom who was engaged in combat with a hulking man wielding an iron axe. He appeared to be the ringleader of the bandits and was holding his own until Chrom checked him with a punch to his face. While he was disorientated, Robin darted forward and performed a cross slash with Chrom which ended his life instantly.

"Well done, Robin," Chrom said, panting as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "You were quite the impressive fighter out there. You must be quite the mercenary with skills like that."

"I don't know about that," Robin replied as they both sheathed their weapons. "It's all still a big blank for me. Things seemed to happen more on instinct for me than anything else."

"Even so, there's no denying your talent," Chrom said amiably, turning his gaze toward his new companion. "Would you care to join us on our way to the capital? It's not a long journey, and I would enjoy the company."

"I suppose I will, seeing as I have no where else I need to be presently," Robin replied, smiling as she joined Chrom as he walked towards Frederick and Lissa at the edge of town.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Dawn of Evil **

"Why couldn't we stay in town for the night? They were going to give us a feast and everything."

Lissa was walking beside her brother, with Robin on his other side and Frederik bringing up the rear. Frederick was on foot at the moment, giving his steed a rest from riding him for most of the day.

"While it was a generous offer, weren't you saying earlier you were ready to head home?" Frederick said with a serene look on his face. "Besides, the chance to sleep under the stars, make our beds with twigs and the like, is all a part of being a Shephard. I believe you said you would be 'getting used to it' if I'm not mistaken."

"Frederick, sometimes I hate you." Lissa wore a sullen look on her face, dragging her feet slightly to prove her point.

"You've quite the stern lieutenant there," Robin commented, giving Lissa a sympathetic look.

"Ha! Stern is one word for it. I can think of a few others," Lissa replied, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Robin.

"For reference, Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe," Chrom said casually, smirking as Robin raised her eyebrows at him.

"Dually noted," she said dryly, and then turned when Frederick gave a polite cough behind them.

"You are aware I AM still present, yes?" he was giving Chrom a pointed look.

"Oh, we realize," Chrom responded, his smile widening as his comment earned a small laugh from Robin.

"In any case, did you notice milord? Those brigands had Plegian accents," Frederick continued, his expression returning to a serious mask.

"Plegian? What's that?" Robin looked between Chrom and Frederick with a puzzled look.

"Plegia is Ylisse's western neighbor," Chrom replied, his mouth setting in a grim line. "They periodically send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer! Completely innocent and defenseless," Lissa chimed in, a look of worry crossing her face.

"I never thought being a Shephard was such a serious job," Robin commented, glancing up at the setting sun. "Perhaps now would be a good time to set up camp. I don't know about all of you, but I'm starving."

"I concur," Frederick said, leading his horse to a nearby grouping of trees to tie down. "If you would care to join me in hunting for dinner tonight, we can leave milord and milady to gather firewood."

"Sounds good. We'll meet back here just before nightfall," Chrom added, dragging his protesting sister with him as everyone left to complete their assignments.

* * *

Once camp was set up, everyone sat down around the newly built campfire, eating with varying degrees of enthusiasm the meat that was collected.

"Ah, it's been too long since I last ate bear meat. Delicious!" Chrom sighed in content, setting his pieces of bone to the side.

"Gods, why can't you catch meat normal people eat for a change?" Lissa was looking at the slice she was holding as though it were going to bite her.

"What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in," Chrom encouraged, trying to hand her another chunk of bear meat.

"I'll pass! I mean, seriously, you're messing with the food chain! Right, Robin?"

There was no response, as Robin was busy devouring an entire leg by herself.

"Well, I guess anything would be enjoyable after not eating in who knows how long," Lissa sighed, shaking her head at Robin's enthusiasm.

"Come on Lissa, just eat some. Meat is meat," Chrom said, grinning at his sister's reactions.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots?! No, I take it back-boots smell better!" Lissa retorted, setting her piece down.

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even ones we don't enjoy," Frederick said sagely, giving his young companion his usual stoic look.

"Really? Then why aren't YOU eating any, huh?" Lissa gave him an accusing look, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Me? Oh, well…you see, I'm not hungry. I…had a large lunch! Yes, quite," Frederick responded, quickly covering his hesitance.

"Yeah, right!" Lissa glanced at the pieces sitting in front of Frederick, clearly not having been touched at all.

"In that case, don't mind if I do," Robin spoke up, leaning over to swipe up his meat, which caused Lissa to make a gagging noise, Frederick to look startled and Chrom to burst out laughing.

* * *

Later that night, Robin woke up out of a light sleep, her dreams all a blur of images and sounds.

_Geez, why do even my dreams have to be confusing? It's bad enough I hardly remember who I am, let alone where I am or came from. _

She sighed, gazing up at the stars above her.

_Maybe more memories will come back later. But why do I feel so nervous? Like I know something's coming, but can't see past the moment? Or like I'm running, but don't know what from? What if-_

At that moment, the grounded started shaking violently, causing Frederick's horse to whinny in alarm. Robin sprung up, looking around and startled to see Chrom and Lissa absent from the campsite. Fire erupted around the camp as the earth spit open, and high in the sky a ring of light formed, shaped like an eye. Robin was filled with dread as shadows seemed to drip out of the ring of light, the runes circling the portal speaking to her of power and doom.

"What-where are they?!" Frederick was on his feet, going to calm and mount his horse.

"I don't know!" Robin heard cries and the sound of battle coming from the woods beyond the flames. "Probably where all that noise is! I'll go ahead and find out!"

"No-wait!" But Frederick was too late; Robin had dashed into the trees, faster than he thought possible.

Despite having no memories of the area and the rising smoke obscuring her view, Robin ran flat out, her instincts guiding her forward, fighting down the fear that was threatening to consume her. She drew her sword, not trusting herself to use magic until she knew who and where the enemy was. Off to her right, she thought she saw someone running parallel to her, but then lost focus as she jumped down a small cliff. Looking up, Robin saw what looked like charred corpses attacking a small band of people with a familiar face leading the group.

"Chrom!" Robin lunged forward, impaling a shadowy warrior through the chest before it could bring an axe down on his open side. To her shock, the corpse seemed to disintegrate in front of her upon defeat.

"You know this person, milord?" A female knight, wearing red armor in a similar style to Frederick, wheeled her horse around, hefting an iron lance with apparent ease at the same time.

"Yes Sully, she's an ally," Chrom replied, withdrawing his sword from a fading corpse. "I'm glad you're alright Robin. What about Frederick?"

"We got separated," Robin said, feeling slightly guilty about what happened. "I think he should be here soon. I just wanted to find you as soon as I could."

"I'm grateful you did," Chrom said calmly, stepping forward and putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It'll take more than an earthquake and a few monsters to take down Frederick. Don't feel bad about it; you saved my life, which I will always be indebted for."

Robin smiled, feeling a thrill at his touch and sentiment. Then frowned as they heard the snarls of more of the shadowy monsters in the woods around them.

"Speaking of which, are such creatures commonplace in this land?" Robin reached in her robe, pulling out her tome with a grim expression.

"There not from Ylisse, I can promise you that much," Chrom said firmly, turning at the sound of hooves approaching, Frederick bursting out of the woods a moment later.

"Milord, milady! Are you hurt?" Frederick quickly looked over the group, assessing everyone present.

"Frederick, Robin!" Lissa appeared to be slightly in shock, but otherwise appeared fine.

"So, no injuries then? Thank the gods," Frederick muttered, giving Robin a pensive look before nodding in acknowledgment.

"You should thank the masked man who saved me!" Lissa seemed to return to her previous self at this comment. "If it weren't for him, I'd have…" After a quick glance around, she looked slightly dejected. "Where'd he go?"

"We can worry about him later, AFTER we put these-things-to the sword," Frederick declared, leading the charge deeper into the woods with the rest of the group following behind.

* * *

Despite being small in number, it took almost an hour for Chrom and Robin to clear out the remaining monsters. As they discovered at the cost of minor injuries, only fatal attacks truly destroyed these creatures. Seeing that the fires were beginning to die down, they met back up with the rest of their group, with an additional person present now.

"The remaining creatures have been vanquished. This young man took care of some stragglers," Frederick informed the pair, as the figure in question turned to face them, an ornate mask obscuring the upper part of his face.

"Um, I never got a chance to thank you for earlier," Lissa said, giving a small curtsey. "So, thank you. You were very brave."

"You saved my sister's life," Chrom stated, giving the youth a smile. "My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

"You may call me Marth." The young man spoke with a serious tone, after a brief glance in Robin's direction.

"After the hero king of old?" Chrom frowned in thought before bringing back his smile. "You certainly fight like a hero. Who taught you how to wield a blade?"

"I'm not here to talk about me," Marth replied sternly, dismissing Chrom's question with a small shake of the head. "This world teeters at the brink of a terrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

A chill ran down Robin's spine at those words. For a moment, the lingering flames around them seemed to flare back up, and she could almost hear the echoes of maniacal laughter in the smoldering remains.

"Not much for converstion, is he?" Robin shook herself out of her trance, just noticing as Marth vanished into the woods in front of them.

"It appears his skills lie elsewhere. I wager we'll hear his name again." Frederick wheeled his steed around, indicating everyone should follow his lead. "But for now I'm more concerned about the capital. We should make haste. From our current position, we should arrive before midday with minimal rest."

Nodding in agreement, Robin followed everyone else as the nighttime march began, her thoughts as smoky as the woods they left behind.

**Wow has life gone crazy right now. With the fact I'm lucky enough to still have a job but working nearly 40 hours a week, I'm amazed I can still function some days. However, it's the stories I plan and write that help keep me going, as well as bring some small amount of joy and pride. Thank you to anyone who reads my stories, and I hope I can help bring some joy in this scary and uncertain time. I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but I'll keep working to put out more stories that can bring a smile to at least one person. Stay safe and healthy everyone.**


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